The mining house where Wang Lei was staying was fairly large. Each side was enclosed by thick wooden planks, with the door serving as the only entrance.
The interior was divided into three rooms by wooden walls. The first was the meeting room, where a large table stood at the center. This was the place where miners gathered to discuss important matters.
Since the mining cave was privately owned and miners weren't allowed inside, Wang Lei and his father often used the table as their dining table during cave explorations.
The second room was the bedroom, located to the right of the meeting room. Although numerous beds could have been placed inside, there were only two. One for each of them, since Wang Lei and his father were the only ones working the mine.
Because the mining house was situated deep underground, going back and forth to the surface was troublesome, so this room served as a convenient place to rest.
The third room, on the left side of the meeting room, was the storage room. It held various tools and equipment used by miners. However, since only the two of them used it, much of the space remained empty, even though it was typically packed in most mining sites.
Wang Lei stood in the storage room; a deep frown etched across his face.
"This is bad…" he muttered anxiously.
In front of him hung various tools on the wall, but his attention was fixed on one item in particular.
Two dark green masks hung side by side. Their eye sections were made of transparent material, allowing the wearer to see clearly. Each cheek was fitted with a filter cartridge designed to block out poisonous substances from the air.
At the center, where the mouth would be, was a cylindrical snout dotted with countless tiny holes, enabling the wearer to breathe.
This was what Wang Lei had expected to find, but he was still disappointed.
The filter cartridges were either missing or so filthy they were no longer usable. Deep cracks marred the eye pieces and other parts of the masks, completely defeating their purpose of keeping toxic gases out.
Wang Lei let out a heavy sigh.
"…These two gas masks are too worn out to be of any use, it must have been a long time before it was changed."
He guessed that this place hadn't been visited in over a year. That was what struck Wang Lei as odd. It was an absolute rule in his father's mining company to inspect or replace every tool and piece of equipment every three months.
This strict policy ensured nothing malfunctioned, minimizing danger for the miners.
But all the tools and equipment in the storage room were either worn out or badly damaged from neglect. It was clear that no one had checked or replaced them in a long time.
And the only one who could've done that… was his father. That means—
"I guess Father never came back to this cave after I lost interest in mining, huh?"
Wang Lei stood in dismay.
His initial plan had been to pass through the toxic zone and head toward another exit located further ahead. But to cross that hazardous area, he needed one essential piece of equipment, the gas mask now lying useless in front of him.
"Damn it. How am I supposed to escape this place now…?"
Ahead of him, a thick cloud of poisonous gas blocked the only path forward. Behind him, a swarm of deadly ants skittered through the tunnels, eager to strip the flesh from his bones. Either route promised the same end. Death.
He considered a third option: staying put. He could survive for a while by feeding on the rocks and minerals scattered throughout the cave, a bizarre diet made possible only by his unique ability.
But there was a critical problem.
He had no water. Not a single drop.
No matter how much ore he devoured, without something to drink, he'd eventually die of thirst.
A human body can survive for quite some time without food, but without water, it begins to deteriorate rapidly. After just a few days, the organs start to fail, and the brain loses its ability to function properly.
Wang Lei was well aware of this. That's why staying put was only a last resort.
"It's not like I'm completely out of options… it's just that the one I have left isn't exactly reliable," he muttered, eyes fixed on the floating screen before him. His gaze narrowed on the skill he had obtained not too long ago.
Poison Resistance…
Wang Lei didn't trust the skill. Not yet at least. The uncertainty wasn't just about the situation, but about the skill's vague description. It bothered him more than he cared to admit.
Sure, it seemed like a passive ability that granted some resistance to poison, but… how much resistance? What kind of poison? How fast did it work? None of these questions had answers.
There was only one way to find the answers Wang Lei needed.
"I guess… I don't have a choice but to try it," he muttered, a mix of resignation and determination in his voice.
With that, Wang Lei made up his mind. Gripping his pickaxe tightly, he stepped forward, toward the toxic zone.
.
…
….
Half an hour had passed.
Wang Lei stood rigid, his face tense as he stared at the scene before him. The silence was heavy, broken only by the faint hum of the toxic air swirling ahead.
"This might be worse than I thought…" he murmured, his voice low and uncertain.
In front of him loomed a dense green mist, so thick it had begun to solidify, forming patches of dark green sludge that clung to the ground like decay made manifest.
Wang Lei stared at the scene. Just moments ago, he'd been frustrated, almost despairing, over his deteriorated gas mask. Without it, escape from this place seemed impossible.
But now, looking at the unnatural fog ahead…
"There's no way that gas mask would've worked anyway," he muttered.
Wang Lei began to doubt whether his Poison Resistance would hold up against the dense poisonous fog ahead. The skill was still low-level, after all, its effects likely weak and unreliable.
There was, in theory, a simple solution: level it up. But Wang Lei had no idea how. He'd only recently been an ordinary person. How could he possibly be expected to understand the mechanics of this system?
"In games, you can level up skills with skill points or by building enough proficiency…" Wang Lei muttered, scrolling through his status screen.
"…But there are no skill points here, just status points, and those are clearly meant for my attributes. That only leaves one option: leveling through proficiency…"
Obviously, Wang Lei wasn't thrilled about that idea.
A skill's proficiency could only be increased by using it repeatedly. In this case, Poison Resistance needed to be activated to gain experience. But the skill only triggered when harmful substances, like poison, were present in his body.
Which meant…
I have to deliberately poison myself just to level it up?!
Wang Lei didn't like that idea one bit. He'd already consumed poison once, and the pain was beyond anything he could put into words, even if he had ten thousand of them.
There was no way he wanted to go through that again.
"…But if I want to get out of this place, I have to pass through that poison fog…"
Wang Lei knew he didn't have a choice. He'd just have to grit his teeth and endure the pain.
He stood only a step away from the mist. It wasn't thick enough to block his vision, at least, not yet, but he was certain it would grow denser the deeper he went.
Of course, he wasn't about to rush in headfirst. Not on his first try. He just wanted to test how effective his Poison Resistance really was.
Wang Lei took a deep breath, steeling himself for what was to come.
He stepped forward, slowly, into the green mist. It parted around him, silent and smooth, like it was welcoming a guest.
A guest it fully expected to send back out as a corpse.
***
At the foot of Yellow Peak Mountain stood a man, cradling a child wrapped in white cloth.
He dropped to both knees, bowing low as he held the child in his arms. Strangely, he prostrated not before a temple or altar, but toward a forest. Dense, ancient, and alive with towering trees.
"Oh, I beseech you, True Immortal," the man said in a flat, weary tone, his forehead pressed to the ground.
"We have come from the far, far north. We have heard that you are the pioneer of medicine in this great country. With your superior knowledge, please, bestow us your pity… and heal the child in my arms."
He had been doing this for hours, prostrating himself, repeating the same plea over and over like a prayer cast into the void.
"…"
The forest remained eerily silent. No wind. No rustling leaves. No birdsong. Nothing.
And still, nothing responded.
Tears began to fall from his eyes, scattering onto the earth below.
"Why…?" he whispered, doing his best to keep the tremble out of his voice. He couldn't afford to show weakness. Not now. Not when he might offend whatever presence he was pleading to.
"The world is changing. People are starting to reap the blessings that come with it. So why must my Master be left behind? Why is she, the one cursed by a god's jealousy, the only one condemned to suffer?!"
"Why…?" Still, only silence answered him.
But the man didn't stop.
"Oh, I beseech you, True Immortal," he repeated, voice hoarse but steady.
"We have come from the far, far—"
He froze. The words caught in his throat as a soft rustling stirred the trees ahead.
Slowly, he lifted his head. His tear-filled eyes widened, so wide it looked as though they might burst from their sockets.
Before him, the forest shifted. Countless trees began to part, one after another, until a path opened, leading deeper into the mountain.
The man couldn't contain his joy.
He gently set the child down on the ground, then planted both hands firmly into the dirt.
Lifting his head high—Bang!
"Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!"
He slammed his forehead against the earth, again and again, each word of gratitude punctuated by another violent blow.
Blood began to pool beneath him, his skin split and raw, but his eyes gleamed with exhilaration, and his lips curled into a wide, trembling smile.
"Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!!!"